Thursday, April 12, 2007

Gordon Matta-Clark: You Are the Measure.








Gordon Matta-Clark: You Are the Measure. Edited by Elisabeth Sussman. Yale University Press, New Haven, 2007. 240 pp., 9¾x12".

"The son of Chilean Surrealist painter Roberto Matta and godson of Marcel Duchamp, Matta-Clark trained as an architect. He is renowned for his poignant use of urban landscapes, creating many site-specific works (often outside of a museum or gallery context) in New York and abroad. In this handsome book, distinguished scholars of contemporary art provide new insights into Matta-Clark’s work: the reception of his art during his lifetime; the impact of his socially engaged lifestyle; the production of his films; his photography, in particular his collages that have not been thoroughly explored; the creation and conservation of his building cut Splitting; and much more."

The imagery and its' feeling of architectural shapes are soothing, thought-provoking and very, very inspiring. My love for both architecture, architectural shapes, photography, texture and collage very much awakening!

"Qualifying the ancient Greek saying “Man is the measure,” Gordon Matta-Clark (1943–1978) asserted instead “You are the measure,” conveying the defining theme in an oeuvre that would exert a powerful influence on fellow artists and architects. In artworks that combined minimalist, conceptual, and performative practices, Matta-Clark gave primary importance to the individual and considerations of everyday life"

"[...] primary importance to the individual and considerations of everyday life". I very much like that idea.

3 comments:

Anna said...

I love gordon matta clark. The way he reconfigured architecture is really amazing. I think it's a bummer not to be able to see his in situ works, but the remaining pieces of his work out of context are pretty incredible, too (I recently saw a section he took of a wall at a staircase).

Julie at Belle Vivir said...

Hi I love your blog. A lot of nice finds.

Rare Autumn said...

Thank you both! I really enjoyed discovering your blogs